For the Love of Photography + Stories + Gear

June 25, 2017June 26, 2017

Monster Posing

Monster Posing, 6th Street – Austin, Texas

This is a decidedly more typical portrait, for me, than the one from yesterday. This woman was one of several promoting the Coyote Ugly bar during the ROT Rally weekend. Except here, it looks like she is pushing the Monster Energy drink, instead.

The Coyote Ugly has a raunchy, rough and tumble feel that works for the perceived biker aesthetic and they always have a crew out in full force during this time. I always find it an easy and interesting topic to shoot.

Except, asking people for a portrait is never truly easy. There’s always a fear of rejection. This fear is particularly strong for guys asking girls, which leads to those uncomfortable flashbacks from high school.

A couple of photographer friends thought I was a natural asking for street portraits. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. Until several years ago, I absolutely hated it. But with practice, like anything else, I got better. I especially got more confident asking attractive women for a portrait. Not only because they are a subject of photographic interest, but perhaps to counter the shyness I had when I was younger.

I almost never asked any girls on dates back when I was younger. I was just too shy. I wonder if I could magically teleport back to my teenage self, with my current level of confidence, if things would’ve been much different.

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